


you can tell me that you're sorry, but i won't believe you baby

by wontstoptillsurrender



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Break Up, Closeted, Emotional Hurt, Explicit Language, Fake Pregnancy, M/M, but in a good way, my goal is to make yall cry, this is inspired by recent events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 03:56:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4506777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wontstoptillsurrender/pseuds/wontstoptillsurrender
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But they don’t have forever, and Harry is tired. </p><p>or, </p><p>Harry just wants Louis to stop being a coward and defend him against these soulless twats of a management.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you can tell me that you're sorry, but i won't believe you baby

**Author's Note:**

> hiiii, i haven't written a fic in a while but i am back with some angst bitch !! i got the ideal for this plot with the recent events going on and of course i had to add my own little twist on things but i hope this is good and i hope i make you cry (that's the goal, but in a good way) i hope to be writing more angst soon because i think this time is the best time !! anyways leave a kudos, comment, or whatever ya want !! (this isn't real this is a work of fiction...well...some of it AND also i didn't have anyone edit this for me and i started writing it at midnight so sorry for any mistakes)  
> twitter: @buIIshitweet  
> tumblr: mukeisntreal

It’s July 7th when Harry gets the phone call.

He’s in his hotel room in a city that he forgot the name of and he’s scrolling through his phone when his screen freezes and suddenly lights up indicating that someone’s calling.

He looks at the caller ID and frowns when he sees who it is. _Modest! Management_.

He clears his throat before answering, “Hello?”

“Harry, hi. We’re calling now because we know there’s a large gap in the time difference there but we just wanted to notify you that we’ve got something coming up.” Tim, head of Modest! says.

Usually when they call and say that there’s ‘something coming up’ it means another PR stunt. Harry isn’t phased by them much anymore to even make a snag remark.

“Okay. What is it?”

“Well, this is something bigger than we’ve done before so it’s very important that you understand the concept.”

Harry doesn’t know how much more extreme they can get, and he wishes he never had to know. But sometimes wishes don’t come true.

“We’ll be having a fake pregnancy. With Louis and another female ‘friend’.” Tim says nonchalantly. “We’ll have articles start going around in a week or so and from then on out, up until the fourth or fifth month, we’ll have her miscarriage.”

Harry’s face goes white and his mouth goes dry and suddenly it is a whole lot harder to see and to hear and to think.

The line goes quiet. “Are you fucking serious right now?” Harry asks sternly.

Tim doesn’t hesitate to say _yes, I am_.

Harry has had PR girlfriends, has done outings, has done a lot of things but he has never, would never, could _never_ , fake a pregnancy.

He doesn’t know what else to say other than, “What did Louis say? How did you convince him to go this far?”

Tim answers simply. “Well, he hesitated at first. Said he was scared too, but then he finally let up after I told him that all the talk would be great for the new single and album.”

Of course Louis gave in, when does he fucking not? For once in his life he needs to stick up for himself and for Harry against these soulless twats that suck the life out of everybody.

“Okay.” Harry says dryly. He has no other comment. He does not know what else to say.

He’d never thought that they’d come to this point. Well, he did but he thought that maybe, just maybe, Louis would defend him.

He has let Louis deny and shame and act _hateful_ , which is everything that Harry doesn’t believe in, and yet the least he could do is at least try to stick up for Harry.

“Is that everything? No questions?” Tim asks. Harry hangs up because the only questions that he has are for Louis and Louis only.

*******

The next chance he gets to see Louis is when Louis arrives back at their hotel later that night after going out at the club. He’s already seen the pictures on his timeline that fans have posted. He’s already seen a blonde girl hang off of his arm and get papped while Louis is smiling so big and happily at the camera. Harry could be fooled.

Louis comes into their room smiley and giggly, _probably high_ , Harry thinks.

Harry’s sitting in the chair that goes with the organized desk when Louis comes over and sits in his lap.

“Hiiiii.” Louis slurs slightly. Harry puts down his phone and shrugs Louis off of his lap. Louis lands on the carpeted floor with a frowny face and he looks far too adorable for his own damn good but Harry isn’t in the mood.

“What’s wrong? Why’d ya push me off your lap?” Louis asks. He loses his attention quickly and starts picking at the colored carpet.

Harry takes a deep breath and looks down at Louis, “You didn’t defend me. Again.”

Louis tilts his head like he’s confused. “Huh? Defend you? Against who?” He asks.

“You’re about to start faking a pregnancy and you didn’t, for once, defend me and say no. Say that it’s too far, say that they could arrange _anything_ but that.” Harry answers.

Louis pulls his knees up to his chest and he looks so small and fragile and scared but he knows Louis’ pride is the only thing holding him up.

“I-I _couldn’t_.”

“Why not? Give me one damn good reason as to why not, I would love to fucking hear it.”

Louis swallows and looks down. “I-I just couldn’t. Honest to God Harry, you have to believe me. I tried to say something, I really did. But then they started going on about how it’s good for our fifth album and-”

“Bullshit.” Harry cuts in. “Absolute bullshit and you fucking know it. Our fans love us enough to buy the album without a fake _pregnancy_ in the works.”

Louis is still looking down as if he’s a toddler getting scolded for not doing his chores. “I know. But you think this is easy for me? I practically have _your_ image now.”

“Oh, boo fucking hoo Louis. Don’t compare the stunts that we do because I have never fucking agreed to say that I got some random girl that I met at the club pregnant. I would never. Do you want to know why?”

Louis finally looks up. “Because of you. Because of fucking you.”

Louis remains silent as he stares at Harry. Harry has no other words and clearly Louis doesn’t get that he just wants him to defend him for once in his life, just _once_.

Harry stands up and walks into the bathroom and locks the door. He hopes that Louis can hear the sobbing that continues on for the rest of the night while he attempts to sleep.

Louis falls asleep after staring at the red colored alarm clock on his bedside table for three hours.

*******

Harry doesn’t go on social media for three days. Starting on July 15th he almosts deletes Twitter but refrains from doing so because they have shows coming up and he’ll need to tweet out a thank you tweet at the end of the night.

The baby articles are released one after another by every media platform on the net. They’ve really outdone themselves this time, he thinks.

Him and Louis have barely spoken for the past week, only saying hi and bye and having small talk about any little thing. Other than that he has nothing else to say to him.

He thinks that maybe Louis will apologize, but Louis is stubborn, which is something that Harry usually loves about him but not in this case.

The first time Louis says something to him other than something like where the soap is in their hotel bathroom is, “I love you.”

He’s standing in front of where Harry is laid down on the queen sized bed. Harry looks at him up and down, looking at his grey joggers and a shirt that looks too much like Harry’s to be his and then he gets to Louis’ face and he just sighs.

He puts down his phone and holds his arms out for him to crawl into. Normally Harry likes to be the little spoon but it’s okay to reverse the roles sometimes.

Louis crawls on the bed and into Harry’s arms that are long and masculine and he feels more at home than he’s ever felt in his house back in Doncaster with his mum.

He sighs into the crook of Harry’s armpit because he’s small and fits there perfectly and it requires Harry almost no effort to wrap his left arm around his waist and hold him close.

“I love you too, you know.” Harry says with his head leaned downwards onto Louis’ brunette feathery hair.

“I know.” Louis says within seconds without a moment's hesitation.

They lay like that for what seems like hours on end and it’s nice because he doesn’t have to think about all the news articles that are tweeting and posting about Louis becoming a father and _What’s going to happen to One Direction?_ and _Is The Larry Stylinson Bromance Over?_ and probably mention something about Zayn coming back. It’s nice to forget about it all and hold the love of his life, his soulmate (he can’t help that he’s a hopeless romantic) in his arms.

But they don’t have forever, and Harry is tired.

*******

After announcing on Good Morning America that Louis is going to be a dad and that he is so ecstatic and excited to finally have a child of his own, Harry feels like he’s drowning.

Harry has felt like he’s been drowning for years but he feels himself finally sinking when within a couple of weeks she’s gotten paped with a baby bump.

He doesn’t know the girls name, doesn’t care because the only name he knows is Louis William Tomlinson, and the only name he wants to know in the future is Louis William Tomlinson and Harry Edward Tomlinson but clearly Louis knows other names.

The pictures are casual, just her walking down the street with a tiny baby bump and it makes Harry feel _sick_. It makes him feel sick and tired, so tired.

He knows it’s some type of strap on baby bump but it doesn’t make the situation any less inhuman. He is powerless.

That night on stage Harry continues with his show routine of telling bad jokes, moaning excessively loud into the microphone, and chatting with the crowd while the boys change and take a quick bathroom break and not once does he look at Louis.

He almost forgets that he’s there until Louis’ solo starts or he’s running down the catwalk while having a water fight with Liam. Louis’ child-like behavior and ability to make anyone smile and laugh at any given time is something that he one hundred percent loves about him.

It’s weird, seeing Louis so normal after telling everyone that he’s going to be a father. A dad. He’s going to give something _life_. Now is he really? No. But is that what the general public believes? Yes. So basically what’s the difference?

He doesn’t change any lyrics tonight, sings the songs all the way through with the actual words. He doesn’t have the energy to go the extra mile if Louis’ not willing to walk with him.

He sees Louis eyeing him, waiting for the change, but he turns away after the second time Harry doesn’t change the lyric. Harry hasn’t seen change with Louis’ behavior, maybe Louis will see that Harry is choosing not to change it, much like Louis isn’t choosing to change his behavior.

They end the concert, running up and down the catwalk, going backstage and immediately filing into the black SUV’s that are lined out and ready for them.

Harry stays quiet on the ride to the airport and continues to stay quiet as he gets his luggage and boards the plane and he still continues to stay quiet as Louis sits in the seat next to him.

Harry puts in headphones and looks out the window with a playlist he made too long ago to remember what’s on it playing as they start flying.

Thirty minutes into take off after he slowly starts dozing off is when he feels someone pull his headphone out.

He jolts awake and sees a blue eyed Louis looking at him.

“What?” He asks tiredly.

“Why are you upset?” Louis asks, putting the headphone in Harry’s lap next to his phone. He turns around fully in his seat so he can give Harry his full attention.

Harry shrugs. “Why are you having a fake pregnancy?” He looks back out the window.

“Harry...you know why I ju-”

“No Louis, I really don’t know why. “ Harry says cutting him off.

Louis sighs and leans back into his seat. “Why this? Why does it have to be this that makes things difficult?”

Harry looks at Louis as if he’s lost his goddamn mind. “This? Being difficult. Listen to what you’re saying. You’re asking me to be okay that you said agreed to fake a pregnancy to millions of people.”

“I never asked you to be okay with it. I know things are difficult, I’ve had my fair share while watching you go out with Caroline, Cara, Taylor fucking Swift, Kendall, and the list could go on. I understand. We’ve made it through so many difficult things, _why_ are you making it more difficult?” Louis asks.

“Because maybe I don’t want to see the love of my life, someone that _I_ want to have kids with fake a pregnancy for a girl who wants a damn paycheck. Maybe I want you to say _no_ for once and to try and defend me and ask for anything, any _fucking_ thing, other than faking a pregnancy.”

The crew and the boys try not to tune in on their argument, and go back to sleeping or putting on headphones.

“It had to be done! They said that it was the best way for album promo and we needed to do this, I want us all to succeed. We have the other boys to think about too, ya know.”

“We would’ve succeed without that and you fucking know it. You know what I want to succeed? Us. I want _us_ to succeed.”

“Harry.” Louis sighs. “We will, we are. Please, just, I don’t want to fight anymore.”

Harry stares at him until he feels his eyes gloss over with tears. “I don’t either.”

*******

The next couple of weeks go by pretty fast. They have at least two shows a week so that makes the time go by faster. The time being in general and until the fake pregnancy is over.

They’ve had to do interviews, talk about how happy they are for father-to-be Louis. Harry gives them a small smile and looks away because it hurts so badly. It feels like there’s an everlasting ache in his chest and he doesn’t know what to do.

By the time that the pregnancy comes to an end is when Harry has his breaking point.

There are thousands, probably at least a million of apologies coming from everyone in the world, telling Louis how sorry they are for his loss.

The only thing he truly lost was Harry.

Harry scrolls through the tweets and there’s a sick twisted churn in his stomach that makes him want to throw up everything he’s ever eaten in his life. Instead he settles for crying in the bathroom yet again wondering how he’s let this happen.

He feels responsible almost, because him and Louis are a pair. They do everything while having one another in their thoughts. _HarryandLouis_ , _LouisandHarry_.

Could he go back and change this? Probably not. It was going to be pushed either way, but the fact that he didn’t try, _God_ , it kills Harry.

Harry falls asleep to the sound of the city beneath him.

When Harry wakes up early that morning he sees Louis curled up next to him and it feels _wrong._ Nothing about Louis has ever felt wrong before and he doesn’t know what this means and he’s not sure if he wants to.

“I can’t do this.” Is what Harry says, waking up Louis. Louis sturrs around, slowly waking up.

“What?” He says into the white comforter.

“I can’t do this anymore Louis.”

Louis sits up so quickly he thinks he might break a bone. “What? Do what? Why?”

“You will never swallow your god damn pride. I can’t do this.” Harry states. Louis starts breathing heavily and getting out of bed.

“No..no...no...I can-I can say something when it happens again, Harry _please_ , I love you, _I need you_ , please, fuck.” Louis says hurriedly, like he’ll forget if he doesn’t say it. “Please, oh my god, Harry, we can take a break, anything, Harry, _please_.”

Harry has never seen Louis act like this. He has seen Louis at his worst, which was when they lost the X-Factor and he has seen him at his absolute best, which is anytime, honestly. He has never seen him so anxious, so nervous, so _vulnerable_.

“I don’t know.” Harry says. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know where this is intended to go he just knows it suddenly feels so wrong and that he can’t be with someone who held their pride like they should’ve held him.

“Let’s take a break, yeah? Then we’ll be fine, Harry, we’ll be _fine_.” Louis begs. He starts sniffling. “Please don’t leave me.”

Louis is standing at the end of the bed sobbing. He gets up and hugs Louis and smooths his hair that got messy during his sleep down and hums in his hair sweet nothings so that he can calm down.

Five years later while Louis is sitting down watching TV is when Louis sees on some random media channel that Harry is now engaged with his boyfriend of two years. Louis goes to the bathroom and throws up everything he’s ate today.

“I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.” Louis says to nobody. Nobody is there. He realizes he’s too little, too late and all that all Harry wanted was for him to apologize.


End file.
